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JAMIE CULLUM TWENTY SOME-THING UJC 9865574

 

1. What a Difference a Day Made
2. These are the Days
3. Singin’ in the Rain
4. Twentysomething
5. But For Now
6. Old Devil Moon
7. I Could Have Danced All Night
8. Blame it on My Youth
9. I Get a Kick Out Of You
10. All at sea
11. Wind Cries Mary
12. Lover, You Should Have Come Over
13. Next Year, Baby

As I write this review I heard on the radio today that this album has gone to No1 in the UK CD Charts. This is a cause for some celebration, the most heavily featured tracks have been the standards and it proves that there is a market for quality. It has been a mystery to me for many years why many artists have chosen to record inferior new material, when the classic songbook contains as many fine songs that are rarely heard as those do that are often heard. That isn’t to say there is no place for new songs, but they must be of a quality comparable with the existing catalogue. This album has some fine new songs as well! Three of them are Jamie Cullum compositions!

Jamie Cullum is an extremely talented young man, capable of holding his own as a jazz pianist and quality singer. He also has the good sense to realise that working with the best musicians will enhance his performance; it certainly worked for Harry Connick Jr! He already has some well paid contracts and looks set for a career as an international entertainer. On his version of Old Devil Moon, a Sinatra favourite, but this is an original version from Jamie, there is a nice tenor solo from Ben Castle who plays on several tracks as do Martin Shaw, trumpet and Alan Barnes, alto.

Jamie manages to put his personal stamp on everything in the album and it is nice to hear new versions of songs, like the funky version of I Could Have Danced All Night.

Anyone wanting to check out his credentials as a singer should listen to Blame It On My Youth. The diction is perfect and the backing from the trio exemplary. I Get a Kick has an exciting riff in the background and again the support from Geof Gascoyne, bass and Sebastiaan De Krom, drums is top class.

Jamie draws his repertoire from a wide base; Wind Cries Mary is a Jimi Hendrix composition. I have not worked out who Ben Cullum is but he has contributed some good songs and has from what the sleeve note says been a strong influence on Jamie.

Let’s hope that his career is not managed to death by some of the geeks who have got hold of young talent in the past and killed off their long term potential in the rush to make a quick buck! An interesting point, this album was recorded in analogue because the producer did not feel voice enhancement would be required, he was right, it would be interesting to hear a similarly recorded ‘Pop Idol’.

We are all going to hear a lot more of Jamie Cullum.

Don Mather

 

 

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